The grass diet

When we moved recently to a townhouse with only a minute piece of land attached, our cat had to get used to being an indoor animal. While she has now grown accustomed to going out on the balconies and likes to have a roll on the paving and challenge the birds while I check the letterbox, her outdoor territory has shrunk considerably.



Fortunately she?s an adaptable cat and after four moves in six years, including a transTasman shift, she?s adept at settling in quickly. However, after a couple of months in the new home, it became clear she was missing something.



I found her sitting on the dining table one afternoon, nibbling away at a vase of flowers. I know cats will often eat grass for reasons best known to themselves. Some sources say it?s to help them cough up fur balls, others to assist digestion or to alleviate nausea, or perhaps to obtain a little folic acid. Our Lucy isn?t sharing her reasons, but when I grabbed a handful of grass from the berm and offered it to her, she chomped enthusiastically.



Can I have mayo with that?



A longer term plan seemed in order and I was quite surprised to find a cat grass kit at the local pet shop. Within a few days the grass seeds sprouted and I soon had a healthy crop which she made part of her diet. The grass dried off when we were away on holiday but I found a pot of healthy looking cat grass on sale at a local plant shop to tide me over till I grew a new crop. It?s definitely to her taste



I?ve now invested in a box of grass seed and some growing medium to ensure a steady supply.